A Game of Chess Nobilty
by Ineedcake8541
Summary: Inspired by the Chess Fanart and A Game of Thrones. Power is fleeting like the seasons, however the players remain the same, just like in the Chess board game. Will you not read this tale, with the hope you might be able to learn a thing or two? (Includes Female China)
1. Prologue

_I do not own the characters, now that is out of the way, this fanfiction is a trial and error, if people are interested in it, I will publish more chapters_.

* * *

 _ **The changing of kings and queens were common, just like the seasons. Individuals strive to aim the highest amount of power for the sake of their pride, ignoring the many changes that was taking place in order to live in their delusions a little longer, clinging on even as the uprising barged in, and even a dog can see that they had already lost their minds in the game of power, to sit in the throne to rule everyone for as long as they can.**_

 ** _This is the setting of the story I am about to tell you. For once a wise man had said, "Those who do not know their history are condemned to repeat it." You will find many parallels in this tale, to your world in terms of culture, politics and history, I believe so , even if we go come from different worlds, but as long as humans inhabit it, they make the same mistakes because they are unaware of what happened in the past. Look at the quote above, you know it speaks the truth. I just am not sure which, names, faces and facts gets twisted into myth and legends and terrible kitchen gossip by the servants had been mentioned in your world, but i hope you can do your own investigation. No matter, I am here now, and I am going to tell you everything I know about my world, a world of chaos yet order, some how, some what, I am still here to tell the tale. Now, enough of me blabbing about advise to you, dear reader. This tale will serve more than that._**

 ** _We begin in geography and economics of my world. The Kingdom of the West where the forests that were in pinewood coloured it a dark emerald, the rivers clear, surrounded by nothing but forests and rivers leading to the great sea of the west, even if the sun was not very kind to them, peeking once is a while, the sunset being the only thing they see of the sun, in all of it's fading beauty. The colours of gold, orange and white serve as it's emblem, for they lead a lavish lifestyle. They export oil and coal from the deep earth, alongside precious metals like Tin, Copper, Iron, anything that can be forged from the earth deep below was their main source of income, for these metals were valuable to the other kingdoms as well. Harvest is enough to keep their people fed, for a farmer his efforts were rewarded handsomely if he met a certain quota to a certain crop, rewarded for feeding the kingdom with it's needs . They were the most powerful kingdom in the land, since because of their exports and metal technology, their army was huge as well, mostly from the province of Anglo, where they have a tradition of sending of their boys to be a soldier at least once in their lifetime, while the province of Gaul provide their scholars and most powerful advisers. Recently the previous king had to deal with an uprising, due to taxes and a law demanding that they had to pay the tax or risk unemployment, the citizen revolted by throwing the iron into the sea, and mining production went into a halt. The kingdom eventually became bankrupt and the king had been sentenced to life in prison. The leader of the uprising, Alfred. had since took over, making himself much more approachable to the people and winning their wars with the ever troublesome kingdom of the North, but not aware of the politics that is currently brewing in his own state._**

 ** _The Kingdom of the South value technology above anything else. Time it took for them to learn, be it from perfecting the finest details in an art piece of sculpted marble or a panting, to the science of the stars and chemistry, anything was of great fascination to this nation. Surrounded by the sea with the desert that swarm their barren lands and the sun shinning brightly in their favour, it is no wonder harvest was strong here, near the sea and the only river, food being a good source of income, but that was not enough to supplement the need for metal from the West, let alone it is the Kingdoms' biggest patron, buying their food and machines to ease their everyday life. The line of the Italus family have ruled this pace for many generations, but now times were troubled. In the throne sits a teenage Feliciano, a boy spoiled from birth and full of naivete, incapable of ruling a kingdom such as this one, for he has lost his common touch with his own people, behaving like a 6 year old. Behold the Queen, who was said to be from the Ungri province, a place where women were beautiful and mysterious. She ruled the land in her own, seeing how the King was much more interested in escaping responsibility and took matters into her own hands, clearly for her own intentions. It was said, or more what the kitchen gossipers had been sneaking about, that she was sleeping with another man, from the secret service, said to the from the province of Austich._**

 _ **Ah, I must be boring you with these talks. No matter, and do not worry dear reader, for I will make this one brief. For the Kingdom of the North hardly anything was written about them at all, except a blanket of snow was said to have plagued these lands. Nothing was documented from them, other than the fact they were invasive, cruel and harsh, at least, that was what the word have been spreading around. Not much was known after that.**_

 ** _Now, we head over to the Kingdom of the East. Pay close attention, for we will not visit this world again after their part is told. This Kingdom had been recently endured a period of isolation, and the old and conservative Emperor found himself being taken over by someone new, that finally united the Kingdom of the East, due to a brutal civil war that split the kingdom into 3 states, then when the old Emperor united them at last, he only found influence from the outside world was the culprit. The new Emperor decided it was time to end isolationism, and forge new ties and revive old ones. The Kingdom of the East was surrounded by forests of bamboo, and strange cliffs served as their natural defenses. An exotic kingdom that closed their doors due to a fear of influence from the outside world and a yearning to cling on to the old ways, the New Emperor decided it was time to change, whilst keeping the old . He had many children, 2 daughters and 3 sons. And now our tale truly begins, in the throne room of the palace in the Kingdom of the East._**

* * *

 **"Your Majesty! I must object!"**

One of his advisers held his hands together, paying respects to the Emperor. He needed a meeting with his advisors, and gather their thoughts. The Emperor looked as his adviser with a stern look, a deep breath soon followed as he got up from his throne.

 **"Minister Chang."**

 **"Present!"**

 **"Why did you object to my suggestion."**

 **"We have learnt in the past, the very fact that foreign influence caused our empire to be split into three warring states! I do not want such misfortune to fall to my country! And to send your own blood is absurd!"**

The Emperor said nothing as he got down from his throne, looking solemn. The Minister has no doubt, a strong sense of patriotic duty, and history is mankind's greatest teacher. But this time it was deemed necessary for them to open , provide trade to prosper once more to curb their needs. They have been great at silk production alongside their greatest trade, spices that came from the southern part of their kingdom, peppercorn, cinnamon, nutmeg , cloves, ginger and garlic have provided them with a good source of income in the past, but ever since they closed their kingdom income was dropping low, relying on taxes just to get by. But the Emperor knows that too much influence from the outside world can ruin them as well, but they needed the income as well, and hopefully all plans will go as planed.

 **"Then, Minister Chang. I would like to ask you one thing. What good is a closed book to a person?"**

 **"..."**

 **"Could not answer? Well then, I will explain. When a book is closed a person could only read it's title, nothing more. What else is there to gaze upon? It's tightly knotted spine? The carefully dyed paper that serves as it's cover? "**

 **"..."**

 **"I believe you know my point. When a book opens, a person can gaze upon it's written words that had been recorded by care of a well educated man, and in the mean time educating the person who is reading it, to become better, educated, and freeing himself from poverty. That is the power of an open book, to be useful to the people. The years of isolation have cursed us to become a closed book, weak to even feed our citizens. We must open again, to have the people believe in us as well. We are sending ambassadors, not blind men who will fall into the river because someone told them it is a safe path. My mind is made up. But will see that they are willing to this destiny, for it is theirs to choose."**

* * *

There are times when the two of them are playful, even if as they grow up they had their time to play for a bit, even if the interests in games had changed. They used to run in the forests playing catch, but now the interests were a bit more...dangerous, after all, they weren't kids anymore and about time they learned how to defend themselves in battle. A young man and woman, no older than in their early 20's, the woman in robes of the Iris flower, jade bracelets on her left wrists tinkle as she moved the wooden sword to practice, her hair held by two chopsticks made out of the lightest jade, to contrast her dark hair. The man was wearing robes of bamboo green, no accessories on him to let the colour speak for itself as he prepared for her strike. She moved in, then he countered attack by deflecting her strike and aimed for her neck in the heat of the moment. The day was windy as their robes moved alongside their fight, both of them making full use of their bodies to attack the other with calculated movements. But they stopped when they heard their sister, no older than 17, running towards them,panting as she joined her brothers, surely no older than 19 and 18 respectively who was also watching the fight as the two older siblings continued on with their friendly match.

 **"What did I missed?"**

 **"Kiku and Yan so far are doing well Mei."**

 **"If only I was not so distracted...could have witnessed how they started."**

 **"Mei you are always distacted."**

 **"Am not, Ge ge!"**

 **"Can you two keep it down? I am watching."**

 **"Sorry, Ka Leong. "**

The two oldest ones that were fighting were named Yue and Kiku. Yue is the oldest, Kiku came later, followed by Yong Soo, Kha Leong and Mei. The three younger siblings watched the fight with great interests, as Kiku was more steady in his strikes and sturdy when it came to footwork, but Yue was quicker in speed and flexible to dodge attacks. Kiku and Yue fought, the wooden swords kept on clacking with intensive contact with each other, both their eyes in deep concentration, their breaths becoming more shortened and heavier as they try to dodge and strike at the other. Even for it being a friendly match, the eldest can get very competitive among each other, unwilling to lose in a simple swordplay match. They stopped for a minute, taking a few deep breaths with each other's eyes gazing, thinking about the other's next move. But their thoughts were cut short, when the messenger came in, bowing towards the Imperial princes and princesses.

 **"Princess Yue and Prince Kiku! I, the messenger for the Emperor, came to announce that his Majesty demands your very presence in his study at this very moment! The matter is of the upmost importance!"**

 **"Very well. Please inform our father that Yue and I will be there at once. Let us put away our toys and catch our breath."**

 **"Acknowledged!"**

The three sibling went in an "Aw, there goes the epic fight!" While the two older ones, Yue and Kiku stopped and put away their wooden swords, taking in a moment to catch their breaths, it was a good fight between them, their skills parallel to each other. The messanger bowed and scuttled away in a hurry

 **"That was a good fight, Jie Jie!"**

 **"You were good in that too, Ge ge!"**

 **"Thank you Yong Soo, but I am afraid I need to be quicker."**

 **"Thank you Mei Mei, but I should be more careful with my strikes."**

 **"Don't pick out your flaws! Every one knows well that you two are among the best."**

 **"Perhaps. We will see you later at dinner, Father is calling."**

 **"Of course."**

Both of the two older siblings gathered themselves, then making their way into the study , walking as fast as they could, their hand maiden and an eunuch followed , their heads low as they walked behind them, both the siblings are curious in what their father had planned for them.

 **"It must be urgent."**

 **"Of course. Father would talk about it over dinner."**

 **"That is true, something is up."**

 **"My guess he wants to propose an idea to us."**

 **"Maybe because we are older, we know better."**

 **"That is a possibility."**

 **The two arrived at the d** oorway of their father's study, a messenger suddenly said the minute he saw them.

 **"Your Majesty! His highness Prince Kiku, and her Highness Princess Yue, has arrived!"**

 **"Very well. Please, let us be, I need to talk to them in private."**

The servants bowed and left the three of them in the room alone, closing the door as it creaks, while the Emperor showed them to sit.

 **"My two oldest children. I have something to discuss with you. Please, sit."**

 **"..."**

 **"Now I must discuss. Our kingdom has suffered a long period of isolation. It has hurt our economy, it has hurt our people, relying on their taxes. We had to declare bankruptcy, such shame that has befallen to a sorry state. I will tolerate this, no more. It has taken a good two decades for our kingdom to find it's feet once more, and the people are finally happy. We have solved the issue on the internal, now we must expand, create friends and allies, to help us grow bigger as a kingdom, to provide everlasting wealth that can be shared for generations to come. I have watch you two grown, matured, into a fine man and woman. I am very proud of you two, and bestow a duty to each of you, because I trust you will not let the family down, nor will you let our kingdom fall with you in the eyes of others. I will send you, Kiku, to the Kingdom of the South to be their adviser, and our ambassador to that Kingdom. Even if you are my eldest and dare I say, worthy of taking my place as Emperor, I cannot force you to do so, since you have personally asked to have your right revoked to become a scholar instead, for you fear you will become corrupt and power hungry. If that is how you feel, and as The path of Knowledge have been chosen as your destiny, I will accept it so. Yong Soo is suited to be with the Military, while Ka Leong will the Crown Prince instead, he maybe silent but he have great leadership. You, my oldest son, have the soul of a crane, steady, and gentle, knowing where to go as the seasons change, a symbol of knowledge and nobility, that is what you are, my son. My kingdom can only offer so little for you to spread your wings, hence I know you must go else where. I know you will do a good job, I have seen you grown so much. "**

 **"..."**

 **"To my oldest Daughter, Yue, The spirit of our scared bird, the Phoenix is strong in you. Again, you and Kiku have the same thirst for knowledge the libraries of this kingdom cannot provide. You are meant to lead, to leave your mark else where, where they will write about you, even if you are foreign, serving as inspiration for many story tellers about your ruling . From an innocent girl you have grown up into a matured beauty with a fire that I hope will never die, like the fire that burns the sun. You are meant to be a Queen, being a princess in this land is beneath you. But I am afraid you are meant to be a Queen elsewhere. I have decided to send you to the Kingdom of the West, to propose an Alliance with it's king, whom I have heard has won the throne from leading a peasant rebellion. He is in need of a Queen there, and I hope you will do well as our ambassador, and as their Queen as well. I will not send in Mei, I believe you know why, she is too delicate of a flower that will wilt the minute she landed in strange soil, then rotted and tossed away once male heirs are born, just like a Peony that has been plucked and trying to fight for it's miserable life until it's beauty has faded . But of course, I will give you both the option to refuse the path I present to you, you are old enough to make your own decisions. How can I expect you to be at your best when you will not accept it willingly?"**

Both the siblings stood silent for a minute. Their own father wants them to be out of the Kingdom to serve as diplomats, they both know they have a thirst to know more, to be in other kingdoms even for a day. Kiku knew that this opportunity will not come again, and knelt in front of his father, his head bowed at his feet, his palms pressed together in respect.

 **"Father, Your Son, Prince Kiku, humbly accepts this offer. I am proud you have such faith in me, and I will do my task each day with the family's honour."**

Yue had a lot to think about her hands getting fidgety at the skirt of her robe. She knew it was coming, she is just a princess after all. Kiku merely had the role of as ambassador, he can come back whenever the Imperial court had summoned him to do so, but for her, she was bound to another kingdom for life due to a marriage, unable to return to her home. Could she adapt to a new kingdom where they would either embrace or scorn her as their new Queen? She gulped, biting her lip. The Emperor did not attempt to rush her, it was unwise to do so. Eventually she too bowed as well, her head low.

 **"Father, I must ask that you will propose to the King first, exchange portraits for me to see and for him to see me as well, and I will head there to meet him. If we both agree we are compatible, I will agree to the marriage."**

 **"Rise, my Children. It will be settled. I will see that the arrangements are made. You two, prepare yourselves. Learn the language of your respective kingdoms, their customs and culture. Do well, make the family proud."**

 **"Yes, Father!"**


	2. Yue: Fate of a Princess

_I do not own the characters, now that is out of the way, this fanfiction is a trial and error. Here are some notes on the inspiration for the said Kingdoms:_

Kingdom of the North : Viking Era Scandinavia and Central Asia during the Mongolian Empire, since these group there was not a lot said for the two, other than what other people have written about them.

Kingdom of the West : The aesthetics are based on Gregorian England mostly, but there will be aspects of the plot based on Medieval England and France, America during the early years, and maybe some Victorian England.

Kingdom of the South : Renaissance Italy and the Islamic Empires provide the setting and some of the plots. You might see some elements of Spain and some hints of Eastern Europe as well.

Kingdom of the East : Imperial China mostly, but there are elements of Imperial Korea and Japan, alongside with hints of SouthEast Asia and India. The plot is also based around the region as well.

* * *

Yue breathed deep, looking to the painter. She was to have her portrait taken, to send it to the King of the West, though she wasn't a bit too happy with this. Then again, while her father was in power, and her brother being next in line, she really could not go further than a princess title, unless she was ambitious enough to usurp her father and rule as an Empress. Of course, she was not of a wicked heart, and knows well enough that will lead to destruction and her being corrupted, and she refused to do such a thing. She let her robe reveal a bit of her neck, as she looked down, the back of her left hand nearly touching her shoulder, the jade bracelet dangled itself on her wrist, her lips lightly stained red as she looked down, the painter was in strict rules to paint her features as true as possible, no enhancement of her skin or any of the sort. No makeup, other than the red stain, so she would not fool her husband to be. The spice market went into a frenzy, the Emperor sort to open up again, and the East Kingdom's most valued commodity, the production of Nutmeg,Turmeric, Cinnamon and Pepper went into a large scale for the first time in 4 decades, and funding from the Imperial Palace encouraged farmers to produce in a large scale. People from the province of Tenggara, where the Spices are mainly found were happy at last, finally able find jobs again.

 **"Smile a little, your Highness."**

She did a small smile as instructed, Her eyes looking straight into the painter's direction, a sort of fire gazing straight, the eyes of the Phoenix bird burn bright like the painter was sure to capture this detail, though her arm was tired, even when sitting down, her neck stiff and her jaw aches from keeping her smile in tact. After two hours of posing in such a manner the portrait of her was done, she cracked her neck a little, the got up to see her portrait. Her likeness was strong, she had her black hair in a knot at the back of her head, a few pins had held it in place alongside a yellow Peony flower, robes of red to indicate marriage, her entire arm to her elbow exposed, to indicate her delicate skin, and her facial features were just like how she saw in the mirror, from the pink in her cheeks to the almond eyes, right down to the small but full lips that stained red.

 **"If your majesty does not like it..."**

 **"No...it's perfect. Thank you for your effort, and see if the Emperor allows it."**

She headed out, her 3 handmaidens lowering their head as they followed suit, heading toward the library. She let them know that if she was to be Queen, they will follow suit as well, hence they had to study what she was studying, some extra lessons for today. Their language mostly, as best as they could to even read or speak of it, to ensure the best of their communications. But she paused as she saw her younger sister, looking bright and happy.

 **"It's a good day today, sister. Come, let us take a walk into the gardens."**

 **"Mei, I have to study...it is important."**

 **"Please? Before you depart? At least let us make some memories, but I'm sure you will come back."**

 **"All right Mei, since you ask, but after I do my studies all right? Take the time to finish that embroidery of yours."**

 **"But it is so labour intensive and I prick my finger with the needle all the time!"**

 **"A hasty work results in a cheap product. Patience is key to skill, and with skill comes a living."**

 **"All right...Meet me in the Peony gardens, all right? I want to play kites."**

 **"Very well."**

Yue made her move, leaving quietly as she was in the library, before she paused right outside. Come to think of it, she did not ask any of her handmaidens if they agreed to stay with her to the Kingdom of the West. She bit her lip, then looked back, smiling to her handmaidens.

 **"Before we enter for the lesson, I would like to ask. Do you want this? Will you be willing to stay in another Kingdom with me for the rest of my life?"**

The three girls paused and looked at each other, unsure what to say.

 **"Please, if you have any discontentment, please voice now. Once you enter the lesson with me I assume you will come with me."**

 **"Your Majesty...My father is old now, and my mother has passed away when I was a little girl. If I may, I would want to stay here, care for him till his dying day at the village if possible."**

 **"I understand LanFen. The minute I leave you will be discharged from your services to the palace and back to your village, with adequate pay for your services here. I will oversee this, I promise you that."**

 **"Thank you your Highness."**

 **"I was raised an Orphan, your highness. I don't have anywhere to go, but to follow you. And for that I thank you, you have given me a reason to live. "**

 **"Very well, Jiayi. Thank you for your services. And what about you, Linh?"**

 **"Your Highness, I have informed my family about this. And they blessed me to go where ever you go. The Nyugen family will forever in your debt, and this is the least we could do, to serve you faithfully."**

 **"Nyugen...you are from the border between Tenggara and the state of Xia?"**

 **"Yes, your majesty. "**

 **"Thank you then, Linh. LanFen, since you are not joining us, please head to the Minister of Trade, and ask how much Nutmeg and Pepper we have by the catti, and how much more are expected to arrive."**

 **"Yes, your highness."**

The one girl left quietly, while the other two looked back at her, puzzled. Why Nutmegs? The common spice for them was plentiful and cheap, or at least that is what they thought.

 **"Why-?"**

 **"I have a feeling something won't be quite right, Linh. History has said that the Kingdom of the West has a plague, our spices were the cure of the plague, we had it once, and we were quick to cure it. I fear the Isolation has effected not just us."**

Yue said nothing more as she went in her study, then seeing the old and fragile teacher trying his best to teach them all he knew about the Language of the West as he had lived long enough during the 3 warring states, before isolation to even learn and speak of it, even though it had an accent, but overall the words and grammar are the same. Her Handmaidens were her playmates, and they went to classes together, Maths, Language, Sword Fighting and Arts were fairly common, but also other lessons like Economics, Science and Politics were just as important as well, for her handmaidens know, they are not just handmaidens, they are also body guards as well. But they put everything aside as they concentrated, writing down notes, and were under strict conditions to only speak in that Language as a form of Practice. It was unusual and awkward. But that is what happens with every first time, so she made a mental note to herself to attend her classes everyday.

* * *

 **"The Spring is coming soon, look at the Peonies!"**

 **"They are lovely Mei."**

The two of them were in the gardens, Mei was admiring beauty while Yue drank some tea, sitting at the pagoda as she sipped some of her tea, the lakeview calm with the gardens next to it, frogs croaked as the lotus flowers catch droplets of water from the lake. A blend of Jasmine and Chaomomile was the tea of choice today, as Yue poured herself a cup, waiting for it to cool.

 **"Jie Jie, You need to...relax, I can't put my words to it..."**

Yue can only sighed as Mei sat down with her, and had some biscuits, a lotus paste filled bun with flaky pastry coloured with Yellow, and another bun too, coloured Pink and filled with sweet red bean paste revealed itself, though you were only supposed to give these to tell people you were married, but it turned out to be so delicious people ate them whenever they like. Yue looked at the buns, and sighed, her fate being reminded once more. But she can't help but to feel hungry as Mei placed them on the table.

 **"Is...he nice...?"**

* * *

 **"You mean the man I might be engaged to? I'm not sure, but he can lead the people looking into his recent revolution."**

 **"Well...is he tall, handsome...?"**

 **"How can I judge someone by looks, Mei?"**

 **"..."**

 **"But thank you for the buns...I'll take the Lotus paste."**

She said nothing more as she took a bite, it was delicious and went well with the tea. Mei said nothing more and split the red bean bun into half with her hands, and ate slowly as she sipped her tea.

 **"Well...do you want to get married, Jie Jie?"**

 **"...To be honest I am not sure. I do know my marriage is a political one, that is part of being a princess, Mei. "**

 **"But surely we can play around for a bit? "**

 **"I am sadly not of that age anymore... Mei. You too will have to realize people put their life into your hands. You need to do what is right, and assume leadership. Read books, be proud of who you represent."**

 **"...Such heavy talk...Let's just enjoy the buns all right?"**

 **"..."**

* * *

 **"He has agreed to meet you."**

 **"W-well then... what about his potrait then?"**

The emperor said nothing more as a painting of the king was hung up by two poles that catch the string behind it, covered in woolen fabric as it unveiled itself by the messenger, who made the proposal. A blond man, skin paler than her, blue eyes of Sapphire and sharp jawline with the body of a soldier greeted them with a backdrop of dark grey and wearing an orange tail coat with white pants, he had no crown on his head, sat down staring at the two Eastern royals.

 **"What do you think?"**

 **"Well...at least he has a pleasant face. He has seen war, and is unsure how to tell you if he rejects me as his consort without offending you."**

 **"That might be true, but I plan to have a trade deal with are wise, a portrait tells a thousand words."**

 **"Is my marriage an economic one then?"**

 **"My dear...I don't mean any of that sort. I meant what I said in my study. You were meant elsewhere."**

 **"But this is my home...when will I ever return?"**

 **"There will be a chance you can return. I know it will be hard, but we can keep in contact."**

 **"Well...better than nothing. Since word that he wants to meet me, I will pack for departure."**

 **"Of course my daughter."**

* * *

 **"But sire! She is foreign! The people are not too willing to accept a Queen that is not from here! The Lady of Orslean will be a better candidate!"**

 **"...Sir Windor, I had meet with that lady. Too Naive, she had lost touch with the common folk. Do you have a better candidate that will not bankrupt the kingdom and will do nothing in her life but to be on her back and birth babies to secure my line?"**

 **"..."**

 **"But for her... I can;t deny I am taken...something is interesting about her, even from this portrait alone."**

The King said nothing more as he gazed upon the portrait in front of him, done is only 2 colours, red and black, he saw the fire in her eyes, the gaze she was not supposed to be taken too lightly. She had black hair yes, rare in these parts. She had a beauty not a lot of women in the court can match.

 **"As the Messenger of the East. Give me your honest opinion about the Princess."**

 **"She is wise, your Majesty! She has been educated well!"**

 **"Then I would like to meet her then."**

"Yes!"


End file.
